The pressure-distributing plates provided in shoes of the abovementioned type are supposed to absorb and distribute the forces which result during a tight clamping together of the shoe parts, as it is carried out to achieve a tight fit of the shoes on the user's foot in order to essentially avoid a point-by-point action of the pressure-applying forces on the foot; these pressure-distributing plates are furthermore also supposed to achieve through their movability in longitudinal direction of the shoe an adaptation of the shape of the shoe to the shape of the foot. In order to step into the shoes and to exit out of the shoes, these pressure-distributing plates, which are connected to the upper part of the shoe on the right and on the left of the instep opening of the shoes, must be moved away from one another in the transverse direction of the shoe in order to free the instep opening and to thus enable the stepping into or out of the shoe.
Shoes of the aforementioned type are known in which the pressure-distributing plates are connected to the upper part of the shoe by means of flaps in the form of flexible steel bands, on which the pressure-distributing plates are movably arranged in longitudinal direction of the shoe, with tensioning-lever buckles being also mounted on the flexible steel bands, which buckles are provided to clamp the shoe parts together to close the instep opening. In order to open or free the instep opening of the shoes, the pressure-distributing plates must be moved outwardly in the transverse direction of the shoe, with the flexible steel bands on which the pressure-distributing plates are fastened, being bent elastically outwardly. The flaps, which are designed like elastic steel bands, apply thereby a force which intends to move the pressure-distributing plates into their position covering the instep opening so that the pressure-distributing plates, as long as the instep opening is supposed to be kept open and free of obstruction, must be manually held apart against the force applied by the elastic steel bands. This can cause great difficulties during a stepping into the shoes and possibly also during a stepping out of the shoes. When the tensioning-lever buckles are mounted on the elastic steel bands forming the fastening flaps of the pressure-distributing plates in these conventional shoes, an exchanging of a part of the tensioning-lever buckle is made difficult because the pressure-distributing plates supported on the steel band carrying the buckle part must be completely removed from the upper part of the shoe. Only thereafter can the necessary buckle repair be carried out, and subsequently the respective pressure-distributing plate must again be remounted. Also these requirements becoming necessary in the case of a repair on a tensioning-lever buckle provided for closing the shoe can be considered as a disadvantage for the mounting of the pressure-distributing plates and of the tensioning-lever buckles existing in the mentioned conventional sports shoe.
It is a goal of the invention to provide a sports shoe of the abovementioned type, in which problems of the abovementioned type are overcome, and in which in a structurally simple and easily manufacturable manner the transverse movability of the pressure-distributing plates for opening or freeing of the instep opening of the shoe and the longitudinal movability of the pressure-distributing plates for adapting the shoe to the foot can be realized, and in which, without influencing one another, the tensioning-lever buckles or parts thereof on the one hand and the pressure-distributing plates on the other hand can, if necessary, be repaired or fixed.
The inventive sports shoe of the abovementioned type is characterized by the flaps being integrated in one piece with the pressure-distributing plates through a hinge, this hinge enabling a movement of the pressure-distributing plates in a transverse direction of the shoe, and by the flaps being supported for movement in the longitudinal direction of the shoe on the upper part of the shoe The above disclosed goal can be met well with this design. It is possible during a forming of the pressure-distributing plates from a plastic material to, at the same time, also form the flaps in a simple manner and with very little additional work and to mount these flaps in a very simple manner longitudinally movably on the upper part of the shoe. The movability of the flaps in longitudinal direction of the shoe causes thereby also a corresponding movability of the pressure-distributing plates. By connecting the pressure-distributing plates to the flaps provided thereon through a hinge, the pressure-distributing plates can easily and without any special force be swung to the side for opening or freeing the instep of the shoe from obstruction. By mounting the flaps on the upper part of the shoe, a good and strong guiding with respect to the movability of the pressure-distributing plates in the longitudinal direction of the respective shoe can be achieved. Further, the tensioning-lever buckles provided for pulling the shoes together can be fastened on the upper part of the shoe independent from the fastening of the pressure-distributing plates.
A structurally very simple design of the hinge between the individual flaps and the respective pressure-distributing plate, to which these flaps are connected, in connection with a very long lifetime of the hinge and in connection with a very easy movability of the pressure-distributing plate with respect to the flaps can be achieved through a preferred embodiment of the sports shoe, which is characterized by the hinge, through which the individual flaps are connected to the respective pressure-distributing plate, being formed by a thin film living hinge.
For the desired easy longitudinal movability of the pressure-distributing plates, it can be advantageous that the upper part of the shoe are provided with upstanding bolts and the slotted holes forming a guideway are provided in the flaps. Furthermore, an advantageous embodiment results thereby with respect to the manufacture of the bolts provided for the cooperation with the slotted holes of the guideways and with respect to a simple assembly of the bolts with the slotted holes of the guideways when it is provided that the bolts provided for the cooperation with the slotted holes of the guideways are formed on the upper part of the shoe.
A preferred embodiment of the sports shoe of the invention, which embodiment achieves a good protection of the guideways enabling the longitudinal movement of the pressure-distributing plates against negative outside influences, as, for example, snow, ice and dirt, is characterized by the flaps, when the pressure-distributing plates are in a position above the instep, being hinged to a location beneath the pressure-distributing plate to which they are connected, and extend in direction of the instep opening of the shoe. This embodiment offers also the further advantage that by hinging the flaps in under the pressure-distributing plates, usually a small force acting in direction of a sideward opening movement of the pressure-distributing plates results, which keeps the instep opening of the shoe open and free of obstruction in the rest condition so that an additional manual holding open of the instep opening during a stepping into and out of the shoe is not needed. An advantageous further development of this embodiment, in which the hinge through which the individual flaps are connected to the pressure-distributing plates, are essentially relieved of forces which act in longitudinal direction of the shoe, and which occur during movement of the pressure-distributing plates in the longitudinal direction of the shoe, is characterized by providing supports on the inside facing surface of the pressure-distributing plates facing the inside of the shoe, which supports are arranged next to the edges of the turned-in flaps, which edges extend in transverse direction of the shoe, and support these flaps on the respective pressure-distributing plate against a movement in the longitudinal direction of the shoe, which movement occurs relative to the associated pressure-distributing plate. With respect to the finishing technique, it is thereby advantageous to provide that the supports are integrally formed on the inside of the pressure-distributing plates. It can be furthermore advantageous to provide, in the interest of keeping the movement forces acting onto the flap small and in the interest of achieving an easy longitudinal movability of the pressure-distributing plates that the height of the supports provided on the inside facing surface of the pressure-distributing plates is higher than the height of the flaps and guide parts for the flaps, which guide parts project beyond the flap height and are connected to the upper part of the shoe.
A structural alternative to the above-discussed embodiment, which alternative is very simple with respect to the installation of the pressure-distributing plates, and in which alternative the flaps rest below the pressure-distributing plates, is characterized by the flaps extending in the transverse direction of the shoe away from the outer edge of the respective pressure-distributing plate.
It is furthermore advantageous, in the interest of achieving an easy longitudinal movability of the pressure-distributing plates, when it is provided that the pressure-distributing plates have a support rib at their edge, which support rib, when the shoe is closed, rests on the upper part of the shoe. Such a support rib can also perform a sealing function, for example, preventing the penetration of snow and ice or dirt into the interior of the shoe.
It is furthermore advantageous for achieving an easy movability of the two pressure-distributing plates, which lie one above the other in the closed state of the shoe, when it is provided that the inner one of the two pressure-distributing plates of the shoe carries a support rib on its upper side, on which rests the pressure-distributing plate lying to the outside thereof.